As of October 1, ComEd and Ameren are updating their electricity supply prices to reflect non-summer pricing. According to the companies, these are the new Ameren and ComEd prices through May 2021: Ameren (for people living in Ameren’s geographic service territory) Usage of 0 to 800 kilowatt-hours (kWh): 4.542 cents per kWh*…...
CUB review: Many community power deals no longer money savers
There was a time when municipal aggregation–electricity deals that local leaders negotiate for residents of a community–secured savings for consumers, but a new CUB review has found that most deals are no longer beating the utility rate. As of July 31, just 78 of the 555 total active municipal aggregation deals in…...
Gov. Pritzker calls for energy legislation to put gas surcharge on the chopping block
CUB has long called on Springfield to end a special surcharge that allows natural gas utilities to quickly raise customer bills to pay for infrastructure developments. This time, Springfield gave us some good news. In a 13-page document released last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office outlined eight principles that will…...
News you can use during a power outage
Storms that ripped through Illinois this week–more than 10 confirmed tornadoes in northern Illinois, including one in Chicago–left more than 800,000 ComEd customers and about 55,000 Ameren customers without power. If you are one of the unlucky ones who may not have power until Saturday, here are some helpful resources:…...
Consumer losses from alternative electric suppliers exceed $1 billion
Illinois has reached a grim milestone in the history of electric competition in the state: Residential consumers have now lost more than $1 billion to alternative electric suppliers since 2015, according to a new report from the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC). More than 1.67 million ratepayers are signed up with…...
Real-Time Pricing: Another way to save–just ask CUB staffers
Most people pay an electricity rate that only changes a few times a year, but real-time pricing offers a different way to pay for electricity. Instead of charging a standard price per kilowatt-hour, the utility charges program participants a supply rate that changes each hour. ComEd offers real-time pricing through…...
Consumer advocates fight for extended COVID-19 protections for utility customers
After a historic agreement between consumer advocates and Illinois’ major utilities, state regulators are now considering the most comprehensive COVID-19 utility relief measures in the country. This plan could serve as a national model for helping utility customers struggling to pay their bills during the worst economic crisis since the…...
Alert: Electricity prices change for Ameren, ComEd customers
The Citizens Utility Board on Monday alerted Illinois consumers to a change in electricity prices for the state’s two largest utilities: Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison. As of June 1, both utilities switched to their summer “price to compare”—the rate customers should compare to alternative supplier offers. According to the…...
Federal legislation gives Illinois $41 million boost in energy assistance
Illinois has received more than $41 million in extra assistance to help low-income consumers pay their electric and gas bills during the pandemic, thanks to the federal stimulus package that passed earlier this spring. The $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a wide-ranging package designed…...
